How Winter Affects Your Home Insurance: Top 4 Tips!

Winter can be a tricky time, especially for home and auto insurance policies. But if you follow some of these safety tips, it can make things easier for you, and less likely for your deductible to be raised.

Rake your roof!

When the first snowstorm hits, and you’re done shoveling the driveway, make sure you don’t neglect your roof. Roof rakes can be purchased in most hardware stores. They’re long tools that help you scoot excess snow to the edge of your roof and away from the center. If you don’t rake your roof when it snows, you could end up with so much heavy snow that your roof will cave in! As we said in a previous blog, Homeowners Insurance won’t cover damage that is the result of poor maintenance, so you could pay a heavy price.

For further prevention of cave-ins or leaky roofs, you could replace your roof before winter storms start blowing in. This is especially necessary if you have an older home and / or need roof repairs.

Cut down problem trees.

In a standard Homeowners Insurance policy, you’ll be covered for damages caused during storms. This covers damage to your home or related structures, including detached garages. However, some trees in your yard can pose a threat when a major winter storm hits. For example, if you have a tree that could fall into your neighbor’s yard, or if it’s a tree that falls on your own property—you’ll be responsible for the cost, either to the neighbor or to have the downed tree removed. Another issue to consider is the proximity of a tree to power lines. In some winter storms, heavy wet snow can cause a tree to bend to such a degree that it affects power lines. These are all good reasons to consider having certain problematic trees removed from your property.

Get your snowmobile insured!

Snowmobiles are considered high-risk machines. There are more than 200 deaths and approximately 14,000 accidents caused by snowmobiles every year. When getting insurance for your snowmobile, look up the laws in your state, because some require you to get insurance, while others don’t. The types of coverage you can get include comprehensive, collision, bodily injury and property damage. You’ll save money if your snowmobile has additional safety features, too.

Make sure you have comprehensive coverage for your car.

During this time of year, comprehensive coverage—including collision and liability—comes in handy if you get into an accident that’s caused by slippery roads or anything weather-related. This may include a snow-covered tree branch falling through your windshield. It will cover you if you have to be on the road, even during a state of emergency. It will even cover you if someone steals your car while it’s warming up in the driveway! Be sure you also have roadside assistance in case you get caught in a severe storm and have to abandon your vehicle to be picked up later.

For more information on which types of insurance are right for you, please contact Zawada Insurance Agency. We work hard to give you comprehensive coverage at a competitive price.